"Tensions are high, and the situation could deteriorate rapidly," saidForeign Minister David Lammy , reported news agency AFP. "While we are working round the clock to strengthen our consular presence in Lebanon, my message to British nationals there is clear –- leave now. ""This is alongside Landing ship RFA Cardigan Bay and HMS Duncan already being in the eastern Mediterranean to support allies with humanitarian requirements, with the Royal Air Force also putting transport helicopters on standby," the statement added. "With the potential for exit routes out of Lebanon -- including roads -- being affected, limited, or closed, due to events escalating with little warning, teams will continue to urge British nationals to leave while commercial options remain available. "Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh was killed in the early hours of Wednesday morning in Iran.Hamas claimed that Haniyeh was assassinated in "a treacherous Zionist raid on his residence in Tehran" while he was in the Iranian capital to attend the swearing-in ceremony of Iran's President Masoud Pezeshkian on Tuesday.

Source: The Times August 04, 2024 04:47 UTC